Hypodermic unit



, Patented Jan. e, 1925.

, UNITED STATES npzronnnnrc' um. n

Application :Bled August 9, 1922. "Serial Io. 580,615. l.

To all t may concern:

Be it known thatpl, ERNEST H. Manor,

citizen of the- United States, -residing atv Framingham, in, the county of Middlesex l andl State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements 1n Hypodermic Units, of which'the following is a specification.`

The objectv of the present invention is to' vermic unit in the form of a collapsible tube with a hollow needle .to enable thel contents of such tube to 1njected into the tissues of a patient, lintraveneously, intramuscularly, or subcutaneprovide a h Allied with this object is that of providing sealed collapsible containers -of .the same sort as that embodied in the unit ]ust referred to which maybe used by the surpreserved when a collapsible container has been emptied and thrown away. In the case of'the'unit, on the f other hand, vthe needle is of inexpensive construction and 1s 25 discarded with thefcontainer after a single use. p l

1 A further object has been furnishes the collapsible tubeof such unit one which is hermetically closed prior to use and may l 20 be.l put into connection with the tubular needle just prior to use by Ia simpleand easily' accomplished manipulation', and 1n a way which prevents leakage andv excludes entrance of foreign matter, including even minute organisms. v

The. combination in which the invention consists includes two principal embodiments, as above indicated, the nature and characteristics of which can best be ex- 40 plained in connection with a detailed description thereof. Such description is given in the following specification with reference to the drawings. In the drawings,-

44S Figure 1 is a longitudinal 'section through a unitY comprising "the collapsible capsule and hypodermic needle.4

'Y Figure 2 i's an levation partly in section showing the cap .removed a v d the needle 1n `at the manufacturing laboratory, where the geen in turnwith a single needle, which is v v tube and needle are out of. communication operative position relative to the capsule.

Figures 3 and 4 are perspectives showing dii'erent forms of needle. l

Fi re 5 is a sectional view Vof the collapsi le tube detached from the needle and cap. .l

The combination of collapsible container and tubular needle which I call my unit hypodermie-syringe consists of a collapsible tube a and'a needlev b, which are assembled tube is iilled with medicine, and each is shipped as a sealed, sterile package' read for instant use upon removal of the seal. Said package comprises not only the collapsible tube and needle abovedescribed, but also a cap cl which encloses the needle and excludes moisture, dust, microorganisms, and other foreign matter therefrom.

As prepared for delivery to the user, the

with one another, andthe tube is hermetically closed. The closure in its neck a consists offa partition a2, while vthe closure at the opposite end consists in pinching together the wallsof the tube after filling, folding them, and applying any additional holder or seal which'm'aylbe suitable to make a suiiciently tight joint.

ylreferablyfthe tube is made of pure tin, a metal whichis ductile and easily worked and to Vwhich it is possible to give the formation of the thin walls of a tube with a neck of -thickerfand more rigid construction, in which .an integral and impervious partition maybe formed. "My protection,

however, is lnot limited` to theuse lof this particular material, as I may use any other material which is capable of being formed o-r shaped in the manner described, is not subject'to attack by the contained medicine, and is capable of being sterilized. The partition a? is'located at a substantial distance from vthe open end of the neck., anda space within the latter, outside of the partition, contains a quantity of sealing material d. This sealing material maybe a plug of soft rubber composition or a compound of wax having sulicient elasticity tov close tightly the package, or flow inward of foreign.` l matter. i g j The needle b is secured in a sleeve or bell e, which latter is essentially a tube or thimble having an end wall at one end, in 'which the needle is secured, and being open at w the other. end, whereby itmay be slipped on the neck of the tube. 'The sides of the sleeve-or bell are slotted inward from the open end at a sufficient number of points to make the intermediate material flexible and springy so that it may be slipped upon a tube neck and grip the lattel tightly, even though the dimensions and shape of the' neck do not correspond exactlywith those of the sleeve. The slots are indicated at f, and they terminate enough short of the said end wall to leave an uncut or integral zone of the. sleeve surrounding the tube neck, even when thesleeve is pushed only part way on the neck.

Referring again to the needle, it is not only pointed at its outer extremity, as usual, in order to penetrate living tissue, but its inner end also extends throughthe closed end of the sleeve e and likewiseV is pointed. When assembled with the tube at themanufacturing labora-tory the sleeve is slipped on the neck, and left whereonly part way the inner point of the needle is' near the wall a2, but does not penetrate'it.

40 e. In the bore of the needle is placed a stylet for the purpose of excluding the sealing material from such Wall when the needle V is applied to the tube. The cap c is placed over the needle and sleeve and the ca p encloses the needle' and sleeve, together with the outer end 'of the stylet. The unslotted Vzone of the ,sleeve previously referred to makes close contact on its i'nteriorwith the neck of the tube, and on its exterior with the enclosing cap, whereby all possible avenues for admission of moisture or other foreign matter to the needle are closed.

This entire combination isthus guarded from contamination by septic substances o r matter which mightl corrode the needle, wherefore after being made sterilel it continues in that conditionindefnitely. vWhen used, all that the surgeon needs do is to remove the cap sleeve as far down the tube neck as it will go and then Withdraw the stylet. When the sleeve is thus pushed down, the inner-end of the needle punctures the wallv a2 and passes into communication with the interior of the tube. Then, upon withdrawal ofthe stylet,

v transverse partition across it and push the needle-holding A- iaaiee everything is in readiness toinject the contents ofthe tube. The same construction of tube may beilled, closed, sterilized and marketed independently of the needle, and used by physicians and surgeons in connection with a separate needle which the practitioner may keep for use repeatedly. with dierent tubes. Such needle is shown in Figure 4, and is combined with a holder e essentially like the holdere lrst described and differing only in that it is of stronger construction and more easily handled. It has' slots f as already described, and in addition' a bead g by which it may be grasped in bein applied or removed from the neck. of t e tube. Preferably lthe needle and sleeve are of non-corrodible metal for` obvious reasons.` What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A hypoderiiic combination comprising a collapsible 'tube having a neck with anv A integral partition between the inner and outer extremities of chamber at the outer end' of the neck adapted to receivea pacldng, a sleeve or bell open at one end and closed at the other adapted to slip on the exterior of said neck, and a .tubular -needle secured in the closed end of the sleeve and having an inwardly projected pointed end adapted to enter the neck of the tube and puncture said. partition when slipped back on the nec 2. The combination as set forth in claim l including also a body of sealing material occupying the space in said neck outside of said partition and adapted to seal the needle after passage ofA the latter throughl said partition. y i

3. A collapsible metal tube as a medicine container,having a neck provided with an integral cross-wise 1partition adapted to be punctured by a needle and located back from the open outer end of said neck to provide a packing receiving chamber.

4. A collapsiblemetal tube as a medicine container, having a neck with an integral crosswise partition, said partition being set back from the open Iend of said neck, and

the interior space of the latter on the outer side of the partition containing a needlesealing composition.

5. A hypodermic unit consisting of a collapsible tube having a neck with an internal a sleeve havwith slots in open end fitted inga closed and an open en its walls extending from such slidingly on said neck, a hollow needle secured in said closed end having an inner pointed end projecting toward the open end of the sleeve; said sleeve being slipped part way on said neck and located with the inner pointed end of the needle wholly outside of the partition but adapted to be slipped furt-her along the neck whereby said needle end is caused to penetrate the partition.

said neck, forming a lll) 6. The hypodermc unit as set forth in claim 5, in which the sleeve has an unslotted claim 5, comprising also a cap embracing zone which surrounds the tube neck, and 10 said sleeve and enclosing the needle. said unit comprises also a cap enclosing the 7. The hypodermic unit as set forth in needle and embracing said unslotted zone.

5 claim 5, in which an unslotted-zone of the 'In testimony whereof I have-aixed my sleeve surrounds the tube neck to exclude signature. foreign matter from the interior thereof.

8. he hypodermic unit as set forth in ERNEST H. MARCY. 

